


A Series of Firsts

by doctor_bitchcraftt



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-02-10 10:22:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18658498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctor_bitchcraftt/pseuds/doctor_bitchcraftt
Summary: Adore and Bianca met in the workroom in 2013, but sometimes it feels like they've known each other forever.





	1. Chapter 1

The first time they hug is during the taping of the last episode of Drag Race, four alternate endings of who is going home and who makes it into the top three.  It’s easier than Bianca thought it would be, the joy and heartbreak feeling all too real and less acted out.  Their first hug is a messy group affair, joined by Courtney  as Darienne walks away, followed by Darienne without Courtney, and then all four of them once the director calls cut.

Before that, there had been a couple of moments in the workroom or Untucked lounge when Bianca rested a hand on Adore’s shoulder or playfully bumped shoulders, but nothing like the full body squeeze they share on stage in front of a dozen cameras.

They exchange phone numbers (and Facebook accounts) that night, the producer’s rules of sequestration effectively ended.Adore is off back to Azusa the next day with a wave of tattooed fingers and promises to call.Courtney waves goodbye to Bianca and Darienne as they leave for the airport, and that, as Adore would say, is very much that.

Roy stares out the window for the entire six hour flight back to JFK.   When he lands and turns his phone back on, there’s a text message to himself and two other numbers that he recognizes from less than twelve hours ago.  Grinning, he saves it under 'ABCD' and heads off to baggage claim to wait for all five suitcases.

It’s the tenth of July, twenty thirteen.He doesn’t get to hug Danny again for almost six months, and it's even longer before Bianca is officially reunited with Adore.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not usually comfortable using boy names, but it feels right here to emphasize the personal nature.


	2. Chapter 2

The first time Bianca realized that there was more to Adore than her first impression was after hearing her sing for Shade: The Rusical.  

The first few days, she'd categorized Adore as an angry young queen, rebellious for the sake of trying to be different.  The Scream Queens challenge had left her thoroughly unimpressed with Adore's obvious lack of preparedness, and the comment about not wanting to work with her seemed to have sealed the case against anything besides tolerating the competition.  It hadn't helped that she was bosom buddies with Laganja, who was rapidly not endearing herself to Bianca's nerves by radiating self-absorbed arrogance.  

She'd overheard Adore and Courtney in the workroom on the first day discussing their respective Idol experiences, and shrugged at the thought of them battling against each other on stage.  It took more to be a drag queen than looks (Courtney) and non-conformity (Adore), so she expected that they'd have decent voices. 

DeLa hadn't thrown her off by assigning her a pageant queen role.  Although she wasn't going to admit to anything, the chance to sing again had been exciting, corset notwithstanding.  RENT and Cabaret were five years in the past, and potentially even the last time her voice could handle the projection needed for a musical.  Saving her ever-raspier vocal cords for drag seemed a higher priority, and Shade was more in her comfort zone than any of her fellow queens probably guessed.

Courtney was confident, a little pitchy, but overall sold her role with flair and youthful naivete during their half.  Bianca sat backstage afterwards with careful composure, fingers smoothing the end of her Miss Sick'ning sash (fitting, considering her first drag role in Pageant) and watching the other girls fidget while they waited for the other group to finish before being allowed to de-drag and prepare for the runway. Their groups weren't allowed to watch each other, but Lucian's music carried in to the backstage holding area while the techs ran a sound check. 

When the music started over, Bianca dropped the fabric she'd been fussing with. 

Adore's voice rang off the soundstage walls, projected farther and fuller than Courtney's, with no trace of her workroom Valley girl intonation.  The clarity and confidence as she hit each note held Bianca transfixed for a moment, surprising but perhaps not as unexpected as it should have been.

Bianca had no problem admitting she was wrong on principle.  That kind of passion hinted at a far greater depth of heart than she'd given her credit for. 

Later, as they all finally began to pull off wigs and corsets after the runway, she caught herself watching Adore in her slightly-too-short dress that looked like it came straight from the mall during prom season.  For all of her contrariness, Bianca could tell that Michelle's criticism of her figure bothered her more than Adore was letting on.  She'd admitted to not bringing any kind of cincher at all, but instead of dismissing it as lack of preparation, she began to wonder if in fact the off-the-rack clearance specials and cheap wigs were all that Adore could afford.  

Bending down to put her heels away, she caught sight of her "for emergencies" bag tucked onto the bottom shelf.  Bianca pulled it over and started to dig through the supplies for every drag queen's worst case scenario: extra wig, box of bobby pins, E6000, assorted rhinestones, razor and shaving cream, a sequined mini-dress, her spare pair of heels.  At the bottom, she found what she was looking for and sat back with the item balanced on her knees. 

Her usual corset (and its identical twin hanging from the clothing rack) extended from hip to padded bust, steel reinforced eyelets up the back and a zipper in front for easy removal.  The cincher in her lap was several years old, not even a proper corset although its boning was sturdy.  Bianca still carried it on the off chance something happened to both of hers, but mostly forgot it was even in her bag.

Glancing across the room at Adore's bare back, she eyed the dimensions of her torso and compared them to her own.  Larger, but not out of proportion - and whichever of her friends started that 'hog body' nonsense deserved to be read to filth - meaning that the cincher with its elastic panels and lacing ought to fit.     

Smiling in satisfaction, Bianca set the bundle of fabric next to her makeup case and continued de-dragging.  Tomorrow was a new day in the workroom, and she had an offer to make.   


	3. Chapter 3

The first time they fall asleep together, they’re on Courtney’s couch in her posh Los Angeles apartment following a promo event for Drag Race.It’s not difficult to slip back into their on screen dynamic, nurtured by daily texts and occasional FaceTime conversations.

The three of them are celebrating with far too much champagne, accompanied by Bianca’s infectious giggles when Courtney trips over the ottoman and lands facedown in Adore’s lap.Eventually none of them can keep their eyes open any longer and they pass out in a tangle of limbs surrounded by piles of drag.  

Sometime before dawn, Roy wakes up to find Shane halfway on the floor, arms wrapped around one of Danny's legs.  He's managed to stay mostly on the couch and Danny is spooning him.  

When he stretches, Danny's arm tightens around his midsection and he smiles before drifting back to sleep.  

It’s early in twenty fourteen.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The first time they deliberately share a bed, Adore is coming off of a difficult breakup.

First love (or one of the firsts) is always the most painful, and Bianca rocks a heartbroken and drunk Danny on the floor of a hotel room somewhere in middle America.

Danny is clutching the velvet of her gown and shaking uncontrollably as he sobs.  Bianca feels completely helpless.  All she can do is hold on as tightly as possible, tucking Danny’s head against her padded chest and whispering words of understanding and comfort that she’s sure are going unheard.

The tears eventually subside into uneven hitching breaths, and she gently nudges the bottle of vodka out of reach.  

_She originally came up to get Adore to join the rest of the girls at the bar, wondering why she disappeared as soon as the show wrapped.  Letting herself in when multiple texts went unanswered, Bianca found Danny curled into a ball of misery next to his open laptop, already well on the way to being completely drunk._

Danny’s eyes are swollen and red-rimmed when she makes him down half a bottle of water, then guides him gently into bed and pulls the covers up around his shoulders.

She thinks Danny is asleep by the time she’s finished cleaning up the mess in the next room and rapidly de-drags.  Roy will have to wake up early and find his way back to his own room to pack, but he can’t bear the thought of Danny waking up alone.  

He slips into the other side of the bed quietly, careful not to disturb the covers. Instead, he’s surprised when Danny rolls over and clumsily presses his damp cheek against Roy’s, whispering, “thank you” before falling asleep curled up at his side.  Roy wonders the next morning if he dreamt it, but he can taste salt on his lips and Danny’s head is on his shoulder.

It’s twenty fifteen and the Battle of the Seasons tour is just getting started.


End file.
